A real estate template website (leased real estate website) is a real estate program that offers you the design, which usually is a hand full of templates to choose from and colors. You provide them with the information above then they will create it for you for a flat set up fee then charge you a monthly fee to manage it. Think of this as you are renting your website and the real estate website program is your landlord. You are limited on what you can do, if you want to make changes you need to discuss it with them and pay them to make those changes. If you have a website problem they fix it. You will sign an agreement, so make sure you read all the fine print and ask them to explain anything you do not understand.

They will work with you to get the site built, but after the site is completed you are pretty much on your own to drive traffic to it, etc.

Then there is a real estate custom website- this is normally built on a WordPress platform by a web designer who know how to build a real estate website and incorporate the IDX feed, create the specific feed links, etc. This web designer will spend time with you discussing your goals for the website, the design you would like to achieve, offer suggestions and give you samples of other sites they have created to show you examples of their work. You are working with this person and maybe one other to achieve the results you want and need. This relationship is very different as you should consider this person as a team member, a part of your business and you should make sure they know what they are talking about as well as do they know how to build a real estate website, bot just a website. There is a huge difference. For example, I would not expect my web designer to know how to build a real estate website because that is not his area of expertise.

Custom Real Estate Website Clients of Kim Hughes & Company

Chris Wylie of RE/MAX Partners – Texas

Dan Johnson of Berkshire Hathaway Luxury Properties – California

All California Real Estate Referral Network – California

When it comes to hiring the best web designer for you they need to understand the following:

How real estate works

Know the technology side of real estate

How to add the IDX feed – this is huge- If they don’t move on.

Do they understand how to set up the SEO for your website

Do they understand the importance of adding the Google Analytics code and show you were to review the analytics?

Do they know how to get and add the Facebook Pixel to the website and the purpose of it?

Ask your web designer these questions and if they do not know the answer then they are not the person you need to build your website.

You can look at building a custom website as you are hiring a builder to build you a home, you want to best, but you also don’t want to hire a build who does not understand what your needs are and charges outrages fees. But the minute the home is finished you own it and can do what you wish with it.

You will want a web manager to oversee the daily operations of your website. This person will watch over your website to make sure it does not go down, updates the plug-ins, updates the widgets, checks the links to make sure nothing breaks, checks your analytics and send you monthly reports on how your site is doing in ranking and visitors.

Now that you know your options I hope this helps you feel a little more educated so you can decide what is best for you and your website.

I did a Facebook Live Event in September 2017 that might give you some additional information on how this all works in the world or real estate, so get a glass of wine, a pin and paper and click on the below video. This is about an hour long, but worth. If you can’t watch it all then pause and come back to it.

If you would like to schedule a 30 minute consultation with me to discuss your website needs and what we offer, please contact me.

My Team and I can help you with either a template website or build you a fabulous custom website.

The below video was a Live Facebook Event I held on my Facebook Page – if we are not connected on Facebook, please click here and make sure you LIKE my Page so you will be notified of future LIVE Events.

Kim Hughes | Real Estate Strategy Coach

Ready to create a strategy to improve your business on all levels? Schedule a private consultation to discuss your specific needs today so we can create a strategy that is customized to you and your market. Call or email me and let’s move forward in executing your vision.

Connect with Kim Hughes & Company

PK Hughes, LLC – dba Kim Hughes & Company, a Texas Corporation formed in 1999. .Kim Hughes & Company offers real estate virtual assistant services to real estate agents by providing strategies with solutions on how to run a successful real estate business including marketing, social media marketing, blogging, not to mention implementing and managing everyday support services.